Thayir Vadai

For vada

½ cup skinned whole urad dal
3 chopped green chillies
1 tsp ginger, minced
15 curry leaves, chopped
Salt, as required

For thayir vadai

6 vadas

1 cup thick curd

¼ cup water

A few sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

½ tsp paprika or Kashmiri red chilli powder

½ tsp roasted jeera powder

Salt, as required

To make vada

Soak black gram in sufficient water for at least an hour

Drain water completely and grind to a fine paste. Do not add extra water
Mix in the other ingredients to make a thick batter
Heat oil in a pan and shape the vadas like donuts

You can use your wet palms or a damp plastic sheet so that the batter wouldn't stick to the surface where it's being shaped

Fry till golden brown, adjusting the heat when the oil gets too hot. Make sure the heat is not too much because that will burn the outside while the inside remains undercooked
Dump into a kitchen napkin to drain excess oil

To make thayir vada

Dunk the vadas into a bowl of warm water, soak for 10 seconds and take them out. Squeeze out the excess water. This will ensure that the vadas are softer once soaked in the curd

Beat the curd with some water, jeera powder and salt. Add the vadas and leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight

Before serving, garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and chilli powder / paprika. Kara boondi also makes an excellent garnish

(The author is a food blogger who blogs @www.cookingandme.com)